2 Top ETFs to Buy Now and Hold Forever

Here's a secret Wall Street doesn't want you to know: Investing doesn't need to be complicated.

Well-chosen exchange-traded funds (ETFs) managed by reputable companies can provide you with low-cost and relatively effortless ways to invest intelligently. Moreover, just two ETFs can instantly give you much of the diversification you'll need to protect your wealth, as well as the means to safely grow richer over time.

Here are two particularly well-constructed funds that could comprise the bedrock of your long-term investment portfolio.

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1. Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF

Despite political turmoil, trade wars, persistent inflation, and a host of other serious challenges, the U.S. economy continues to expand at an impressive clip.

Innovation powers this relentless growth engine. Game-changing advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and other cutting-edge technologies are expected to drive further gains in efficiency and profitability for U.S. companies. That, in turn, should help the U.S. economy grow at a solid pace in the coming years.

The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (NYSEMKT: VTI) offers you a great way to claim your piece of this wealth-building machine.

Vanguard's fund can quickly give you exposure to over 3,500 U.S.-based businesses. This ETF is designed to help investors profit from the growth of a significant portion of the U.S. economy.

The ETF weights its stock positions by market value, so massive enterprises like Nvidia, Apple, Amazon, Broadcom, and Meta Platforms can be found among the fund's top holdings. These are some of the strongest and most well-run companies in the stock market, so they can add ballast and reliable sources of profit generation to your portfolio. At the same time, the ETF's vast array of mid-cap and small-cap stock holdings provides additional layers of growth potential.

Notably, Vanguard is renowned for its low fees. The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF is a particularly affordable option, with an expense ratio of just 0.03%. These fees amount to $0.30 per year for every $1,000 invested.

If you're eager to get started, you can begin investing in the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF today with a minimum investment of only $1.

2. Vanguard Total International Stock ETF

You could gain more of the wealth-protecting benefits of diversification -- and additional profit opportunities -- by including an international element in your investment portfolio. Here's why buying shares in the Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (NASDAQ: VXUS) is a clever way to do so.

True to its name, the Vanguard Total International Stock ETF provides fast access to roughly 8,700 international stocks. Global juggernauts like AI chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Chinese e-commerce colossus Alibaba, and Korean device maker Samsung Electronics count among the fund's largest holdings.

Importantly, Vanguard's ETF invests across a range of developed and developing economies. Mature markets like Japan and Canada can provide security and stability, while India and other rapidly expanding economies offer intriguing growth potential. In this way, Vanguard's fund can help you both protect and grow your wealth.

Moreover, like its U.S.-focused brethren, the Vanguard Total International Stock ETF sports an ultra-low expense ratio of 0.05%. That equates to only $0.50 in annual fees for each $1,000 invested annually, allowing you to keep nearly all the gains produced by the fund.

For these reasons, buying shares in both of these well-constituted, low-cost funds is a sensible strategy. Together, the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF and Vanguard Total International Stock ETF combine to form a simple yet smart way to generate lucrative investment returns from the long-term expansion of the worldwide economy.

Joe Tenebruso has positions in Amazon. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Nvidia, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Vanguard Total International Stock ETF, and Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF. The Motley Fool recommends Alibaba Group and Broadcom. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.